EL SEGUNDO – Defenseman Oscar Fantenberg began the 2017-18 season with the Kings, but he was optioned to the Ontario Reign, the Kings’ AHL affiliate, in mid-January after getting into 26 games.

The Swede was recalled for the last game of the regular season, then got into all four playoff games against the Vegas Golden Knights, who swept the Kings. Injuries to Derek Forbort and Jake Muzzin, and Drew Doughty’s suspension for Game 2 of the playoffs, gave Fantenberg the opportunity to play 41:10 of that 2-1 double-overtime loss at Vegas. Only fellow defenseman Alec Martinez (44:58) had more time on ice.

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Coach John Stevens was impressed with Fantenberg’s work toward the end of the season.

“I thought he played his best hockey,” Stevens said. “He went down to Ontario with the right attitude. Wanted to go down there, work hard and get a chance to play a lot and try and get his game in order. And when he came back, he had an opportunity to play more.

“And certainly in the playoffs, with the guys who were hurt and Drew getting suspended, he really had an opportunity to play in key situations against a really good team in an intense environment and performed very well.”

That doesn’t mean Fantenberg, 26, is guaranteed a spot on this season’s opening-day roster. The top five defensemen are Doughty, Jake Muzzin, Alec Martinez, Dion Phaneuf and Forbort (back), who is close to full-contact skating in practice. Teams typically carry seven defensemen and sometimes eight.

That leaves Fantenberg, Paul LaDue, Daniel Brickley and a couple of others battling for the last two or three spots.

This past season was Fantenberg’s first in the NHL after he played several season in Sweden, and the 2016-17 campaign for HC Sochi of the Kontinental Hockey League in Russia.

Fantenberg made strides, but he knows that he has to continue to improve if he wants to make the team. He was asked Saturday how he believes he’s doing in training camp.

“It started off pretty good,” he said. “I think I had some mistakes last game (in a 7-2 loss to Vegas), but I think I’m going to learn along the way, along the camp. I mean, we’ve been off for a couple of months, so probably going to be a little rusty.

“But I think I just have to do the best I can every practice, every game, just to show the coach I want to be here so I make the team.”

When Stevens was asked early Saturday afternoon how Fantenberg is doing in camp, he said, “I think he’s been OK,” and that he wants to see more once the team numbers get down. The team has played four split-squad games and still had 52 players in camp before Saturday, which makes it difficult to assess each individual; they sent 14 to Ontario and released five more late Saturday afternoon to get downto 33.

Stevens knows what he wants from Fantenberg.

“The big word that comes to mind for me is consistency,” Stevens said. “I just want to see some more consistency in his game, whether it’s defending, where you know he’s going to get the job done every time. Or with the puck, where you know he’s going to make the right play every time.

“He’s a guy we think a lot of, but I’d like to see more of him in training camp.”

Fantenberg, who had two goals and seven assists and 11 penalty minutes in ’17-’18, realizes he’s not a lock because the team is deep at his position.

“I mean, it’s a lot of good (defensemen) in the organization, so it’s going to be tough,” he said. “A spot’s open, but we’re so deep in D. It’s a good thing, but it’s also a fun thing to compete every day, every practice, to get the spot on the team.”

Stevens chimed in on Fantenberg’s chances.

“I wouldn’t want to speculate at this point,” he said. “But he’s certainly in the mix, I can tell you that.”

Injury report

Forward Jonny Brodzinski (shoulder) is out indefinitely after being injured Thursday at Vancouver. … Forbort (back) had a full practice Saturday, but was wearing a red jersey, meaning he wasn’t at full-contact. Stevens said Forbort is close, though, and is hopeful of getting him into one or two exhibition games before the regular season begins Oct. 5.

The Kings (0-3-1) next play Vancouver on Monday night at 7 in Salt Lake City.